Holding device



May 18, 1965 w. HELLER ETAL HOLDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 9, 1962 IAN[N70195: 11/114: m 1 tr- N n/rat l e/611% United States Patent 3,183,546HOLDING DEVICE Wilhelm Heller, Solingen-Ohligs, and Manfred Herbrich,Teienthal, Germany, assignors to Julius Schmidt, Remscheid-Dorfmuhle,Germany, a firm Filed Feb. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 172,337 Claims priority,application Germany, Feb. 13, 1961, Sch 29,227 7 Claims. (Cl. 1694) Thisinvention relates to holding devices, and more specifically to a holdingdevice for securing thereon carrier rails for a curtain or the like.

Hitherto carrier rails for a curtain or the like have either been fixeddirectly to the ceiling by means of screws or secured above the windowswith the aid of holders which are screwed onto the wall. Since theceilings, as a rule, consist of concrete and the walls consist of bricksor cast concrete blocks, the known types of mounting can only berealized if pegs have been previously inserted in the ceilings or walls.This results in much time being wasted in mounting the carrier railsespecially on ceilings because holes for the fastening screws havesubsequently to be drilled into the carrier rails at the same distancesapart at which the pegs are inserted in the ceiling. If these distancesare not accurately maintained, either new holes have to be drilled orthe pegs must be displaced. This is, however, not only time-consumingand expensive but also considerably impairs the carrying capacity of thecarrier rails because the several drilled holes are then frequentlylocated so closely side by side that the fastening screws with theirpegs are torn out of their mountings when they are subjected torelatively great strains. Furthermore, such mounting operations must becarried out by several upholsterers because the carrier rail must beheld by hand at least until the fastening screws have been inserted atthe ends of the carrier rail.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a holding device ofthe aforedescribed type, in which the aforesaid disadvantages areavoided by simple means and on which the carrier rails can be rapidlymounted.

This object is achieved by providing a holding device for securingthereon carrier rails for a curtain or the like, which comprises acarrying member arranged to be fixed to the masonry, a holding membermovably mounted in said carrying member, and associated receptionsprovided along the lateral edges of a carrier rail and extending overthe Whole length of the carrier rail, said holding member in cooperationwith said receptions being movable into operative and inoperativepositions.

This arrangement alfords the advantage that all the holding devices canfirst be secured in place and then the carrier rails secured on theholding devices, the holding member, after having moved into itsoperative position, providing a separable connection between the carrierrail and the holding device.

The holding member may be embodied in a bow of spring Wire and portionsbent into U-shape may be formed on the bow of spring wire, whichportions are arranged to be pressed, in the operative position of theholding member, into the receptions provided on the carrier rail.

Alternatively, a portion of the bow of spring wire bent into U-shape maycooperate with a locking nose arranged on the side of the carryingmember opposite the U-shaped portion of the bow of spring wire so thatthe carrier rail is secured on the holding device. The locking nose maybe integral with the carrying member. To ensure that the carrier railsfirmly bear against the ceiling, the locking nose may expediently bearranged in sunk position in an undercut recess in the carrying member.

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According to another feature of the invention the movable holding membermay be embodied in a piece of sheet metal shaped to the required sizeand securable in its operative position with the aid of a clamping screwarranged on the carrying member, the piece of sheet metal in itsoperative position engaging with an extension in the reception providedalong one lateral edge of the carrier rail and with the locking nose inthe reception provided along the other lateral edge of the carrier rail.

Several preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described byway of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a holding device according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the holdingdevice shown in FIG. 1, the holding device being fixed to a ceiling anda carrier rail for a curtain or the like being secured on the holdingdevice;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of another embodiment of the holding deviceaccording to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the holding device shown in FIG. 2,the holding device being secured to a ceiling and a carrier rail shownin perspective view being secured on the holding device;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a holding device constructed as a wallbracket, a carrier rail being secured on the holding device, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a holding deviceconstructed as a wall bracket, shown in position for securing a carrierrail thereon.

FIG. 1 shows a holding device generally designated by the numeral 7 andconsisting of a carrying member 8 and a movable holding member 9. Thecarrying member 8 is a piece of sheet metal shaped to the required sizeand provided in its centre with an elongated hole 10 for receiving afastening screw. The holding member 9 is a bow of spring wire movablymounted in the carrying member 8. The ends of the holding member 9 arebent inwardly and mounted in bent-round lugs 11 of the carrying member8. The holding member 9 has a central portion 12 which is bent intoU-shape and located in a slotlike opening in a bent-oil edge port-ion 13of the carrying member 8. Due to the elasticity of the holding member 9the U-shaped portion 12 thereof can be pressed inwardly into theslot-like opening in the edge portion 13 of the carrying member 8. Whenthe pressure on the U-shaped portion 12 has ceased it returns into itsoriginal position. 011 the side of the carrying member 8 opposite thebentofi' edge portion 13 a locking nose 14 is provided which is integralwith the carrying member 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, a carrier rail 15 for a curtain or the like has atits two upper lateral edges flanges forming receptions 16. After theholding device 7 has been fixed to a ceiling 17 the carrier rail 15 issecured on the holding device '7 in such a manner that the U-shapedportion 12 of the holding member 9 will be located in one of thereceptions 16. Then the carrier rail 15 together with the portion 12 ofthe holding member 9 is shifted against the spring action of the holdingmember 9 until the locking nose 14 can engage into the other reception16. In this working position of the holding device 7 the carrier rail 15is reliably retained on the holding device. Separation of the connectionbetween the rail 15 and the holding device 7 is effected in reverseorder.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment of the holding device generallydesignated by the numeral 7a and comprising a carrying member 8a and amovable holding member 9a. The carrying member 8a and the holding memberha substantially correspond to the respective elements shown in FIGS. 1and 2 with the exception that the holding member 911 has two U-shapedportions 12 which in their operative positions engage in the receptions16,

and the locking nose 14 is dispensed with and replaced by one of theportions 12 of the holding member 9a.

FIG. shows a holding device 712 having a carrying member 8b constructedas a wall bracket. In this embodiment the vlocking nose 14 is providedin an undercut recess 18 in the carrying member 8b. The carrier rail issecured on the holding device 7b in the same manner as in the case ofthe holding device 7 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 shows a holding device 76 with a carrying member 80 alsoconstructed as a wall bracket. In this case a movable holding member 917which consists of a piece of sheet metal shaped to the required size isprovided with handles 19 and shiftable in longitudinal guides 26provided in the carrying member 8c. The holding member 9b in itsoperative position engages with an extension 21 formed thereon in one ofthe receptions 16. On the opposite side the carrier rail 15 is held bythe locking nose 14 engaging in the other reception 16. A clamping screw22 provided on the carrying member 8c serves to secure the holdingmember 9b in its operative position. Like the carrying member 8b shownin FIG. 5, the carrying member 80 is provided with bores 23 forreceiving fastening screws.

The locking nose 14 and the U-shaped portions 12 of the holding members9 and 9a may be of hook-shaped configuration and engage in theiroperative positions around the carrier rail 15.

We claim:

1. In a holding device for securing a carrier rail for a curtain or thelike, in combination, a substantially flat cairrying member adapted tobe fixed to a building structure and having a circumferential edge; aholding member in the form of a bow-shaped spring wire arrangedsubstantially in a plane having its lends secured to said carryingmember and having at least one substantially U-shaped locking portionintermediate said ends, said holding member being mounted on saidcarrying member in a normally expanded working positionwith saidU-shaped portion projecting laterally beyond the edge of said carryingmember to one side of the latter and in a plane parallel to that of saidcarrying member, said U-shaped portion in said expanded working positionbeing adapted to extend into a notch of a carrier rail, and said lockingmember being resiliently compressible to a position in which saidU-shaped portion is transversely displaced in the plane of said wire forwithdrawing said portion substantially from beyond said edge; and asubstantially rigid locking nose integrally formed with said carryingmember and projecting from said carrier member to the side opposite saidone side substantially in the plane of said holding member andcooperating with said U-shaped portion of said spring wire in theworking position of the latter for holding a carrier rail by engaginginto a notch of the latter located opposite to that engaged by saidU-shaped portion.

2. A holding device for securing a carrier rail for a curtain or thelike comprising, in combination, a carrying member adapted to be fixedto a building structure and having a substantially flat main portion anda flange portion extending along one side edge of said main portionsubstantially normal thereto, said flange portion being formed with anelongated slot therethrough; a holding member in the form of abow-shaped spring wire arranged substantially in a plane parallel tothat of said flat main portion and having intermediate its ends a U-shaped portion, said spring wire being mounted on said carrying memberand being resiliently movable with respect thereto between an expandedworking position in which said U-shaped portion extends through saidslot and projects laterally beyond said flange portion of said carryingmember and a compressed position in which said U- shaped portion is atleast in part withdrawn through said slot; means 'on said carryingmember for connecting said ends of said spring wire thereto in such amanner that said U-shaped portion may be resiliently moved inwardlythrough said slot in said compressed position of said 4 spring wire; andmeans projecting beyond the side edge of the carrying member oppositesaid one side edge thereof, said last-mentioned means and said U-shapedportion of said spring wire being adapted to respectively engage inopposite notches of a carrier railfor supporting the latter on saidholding device.

3. A holding device for securing a carrier rail for a curtain or thelike comprising, in combination, a carrying member adapted to be fixedto a building structure and having a substantially flat main portion anda flange portion extending along one side of said main portionsubstantially normal thereto, said flange portion being formed with anelongated slot therethrough; a holding member in the form of abow-shaped spring wire arranged substantially in a plane parallel tothat of said flat main portion and having intermediate its ends aU-shaped portion, said spring wire being mounted on said carrying memberand being resiliently movable with respect thereto between an expandedworking position in which said U-shaped portion extends through saidslot and projects laterally beyond said flange portion of said carryingmember and a compressed position in which said U-shaped portion is atleast in part withdrawn through said slot; means on said carrying memberfor connectingthe ends of said spring wire thereto in such a manner thatsaid U-shaped portion may be resiliently moved inwardly through saidslot in said compressed position of said spring wire; and a holding noseintegral with said carrying member and projecting beyond the side edgeof the carrying member opposite said one side edge thereof, said holdingnose and said U-shaped portion of said spring wire being adapted torespectively engage in opposite notches of a carrier rail for supportingthe latter on said holding device.

4. A holding device for securing a carrier rail for a curtain or thelike comprising, in combination, a carrying member adapted to be fixedto a building structure and having a substantially flat main portion anda pair of flange portions extending respectively along opposite sideedges of said main portion substantially normal thereto, each of saidflange portions being formed with an elongated slot therethrough; and aholding member in the form of a bow-shaped spring wire having adjacentthe ends thereof U-shaped portions, said holding member being mounted onsaid carrying member and being resiliently movable with respect theretobetween an expanded working position in which said U-shaped portionsrespectively extend through and beyond respective ones of saidslots insaid flange portions of said carrying member to opposite sides of thesame and a compressed position in which said U-shaped portions are atleast in part withdrawn inwardly through said slots, said U-shapedportions in the expanded position of said holding member being adaptedto engage in two opposite notches of a carrier rail for supporting thelatter on the holding device.

5. In a holding device for securing a carrier rail for a curtain or thelike, in combination, a carrying member adapted to be fixed to abuilding structure and having a circumferential edge defining theoutline of said carrying member; and a holding member in the form of aspring wire arranged substantially in a plane and comprising at leastone resiliently compressible bow-shaped portion connected at one end tosaid carrying member and having an integral substantially rigid-U-shaped locking portion adjacent the other end of said bow-shapedportion, said holding member being mounted in said'carrying member sothat said U-shaped portion is resiliently movable relative theretobetween a compressed position of said howshaped portion in which saidU-shaped portion is substantially withdrawn within the outline definedby said edge, and an expanded position in which said U-shaped portionprojects substantially completely beyond said outline defined by saidedge to one side of said carrying member for extending into a notch ofan adjacent carrier rail and a substantially rigid locking noseprojecting from said carrier member to the side opposite said one sideand cooperating with said U-shaped portion of said spring Wire forholding a carrier rail by engaging into a notch of the latter locatedopposite to that engaged by said U-shaped portion.

6. In a holding device for securing a carrier rail for a curtain or thelike, in combination, a carrying member adapted to be fixed to abuilding structure and having a circumferential edge defining theoutline of said carrying member; and a holding member in the form of aspring wire arranged substantially in a plane and comprising a pair ofresiliently compressible bow-shaped portions bowed in mutually oppositedirections and each being connected at one end to said carrying memberand their other ends being integrally joined by a substantially rigidU-shaped locking portion, said holding member being mounted in saidcarrying member so that said U-shaped portion is resiliently movablerelative thereto between a compressed position of said bow-shapedportion in which said U- shaped portion is substantially withdrawnwithin the outline defined by said edge, and an expanded position inwhich said U-shaped portion projects substantially completely beyondsaid outline defined by said edge to one side of said carrying memberfor extending into a notch of an adjacent carrier rail and asubstantially rigid locking nose projecting from said carrier member tothe side opposite said one side and cooperating with said U-shapedportion of said spring wire for holding a carrier rail by engaging intoa notch of the latter located opposite to that engaged by said U-shapcdportion.

7. A holding device for securing a carrier rail for a curtain or thelike comprising, in combination, a carrying member adapted to be fixedto a building structure and having a substantially flat main portion; aholding member in the form of a bow-shaped spring wire having adjacentthe ends thereof U-shaped portions, said holding member being mounted onsaid carrying member and being resiliently movable with respect theretobetween an expanded working position in which said U-shaped portionsrespectively extend beyond said flat portion of said carrying member toopposite sides of the same and a compressed position in which saidU-shaped portions are at least in part withdrawn from the positionsoccupied in said working position, said U-shaped portions in theexpanded position of said holding member being adapted to engage in twoopposite notches of a carrier rail for supporting the latter on theholding device; and means integral with said main flat portion forretaining said holding member against said main fiat portion of thecarrying member while permitting resilient movement of said holdingmember between said expanded working position and said compressedposition when said main flat portion of said carrying member ispositioned against a support surface.

References (liter! by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,862 5/54Flora 24--73 2,705,566 4/55 Ford et al 1694 2,879,569 3/59 Poupitch.2,908,956 10/59 Brazik 247 3 2,935,775 5/60 Granger 2473 3,060,490 10/62 Saito l695 FOREIGN PATENTS 455,836 3/50 Italy.

570,371 8/58 Belgium.

608,800 9/60 Italy.

a DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

BOBBY R. GAY, Examiner.

1. IN A HOLDING DEVICE FOR SECURING A CARRIER RAIL FOR A CURTAIN OR THE LIKE, IN COMBINATION, A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT CARRYING MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE FIXED TO A BUILDING STRUCTURE AND HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGE; A HOLDING MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A BOW-SHAPED SPRING WIRE ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY IN A PLANE HAVING ITS ENDS SECURED TO SAID CARRYING MEMBER AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED LOCKING PORTION INTERMEDIATE SAID ENDS, SAID HOLDING MEMBER BEING MOUNTED ON SAID CARRYING MEMBER IN A NORMALLY EXPANDED WORKING POSITION WITH SAID U-SHAPED PORTION PROJECTING LATERALLY BEYOND THE EDGE OF SAID CARRYING MEMBER TO ONE SIDE OF THE LATTER AND IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THAT OF SAID CARRYING MEMBER, SAID U-SHAPED PORTION IN SAID EXPANDED WORKING POSITION BEING ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO A NOTCH OF A CARRIER RAIL, AND SAID LOCKING MEMBER BEING RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE TO A POSITION IN WHICH SAID U-SHAPED PORTION IS TRANSVERSELY DISPLACED IN THE PLANE OF SAID WIRE FOR WITHDRAWING SAID PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY FROM BEYOND SAID EDGE; AND A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID LOCKING NOSE INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH SAID CARRYING MEMBER AND PROJECTING FROM SAID CARRIER MEMBER TO THE SIDE OPPOSITE SAID ONE SIDE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF SAID HOLDING MEMBER AND COOPERATING WITH SAID U-SHAPED PORTION OF SAID SPRING WIRE IN THE WORKING POSITION OF THE LATTER FOR HOLDING A CARREIR RAIL BY ENGAGING INTO A NOTCH OF THE LATTER LOCATED OPPOSITE TO THAT ENGAGED BY SAID U-SHAPED PORTION. 